Coach Joe Applies Pressure to Cal Poly Hoops Squad

Posted by Anita Shower 
 

Cal Poly Men's Basketball Coach Joe Callero was introduced by President Lisa Evans with great fanfare and outrageous facts.  Coach Callero has a master's degree in Education and counseling and is a native of WashingtonState.  He is married to Erica and they have a ten-year-old daughter. The Coach has been living in Arroyo Grande for a full year and knows it has a great sense of community, and that the SouthCounty is a unique area.

 

The Coach enjoys talking to people and traveling up and down the coast on behalf of Cal Poly Men's Basketball.  He reaches out to touch people and to talk to them.  He commutes 15 minutes to work and back; delightful and he realized he made the right move to San Luis ObispoCounty.  After each wedding anniversary he realizes he has a little less power and that his space in him home becomes smaller and smaller, but he has kept a nook in his home for watching film.

The Coach knows that coaching is a humbling experience.  It is a great job.  It is a great year.  Some games aren't won; some are.  The Coach explained that he has never met a fan that can't coach better!   He tells his team to player harder and play smarter. Last season, after an 0-5 start, his daughter had asked if he is ever going to win a game; he took that question to his team.  The Coach talked about family and the need to put pressure on your family.  He also puts pressure on his team.  He finds the winners under duress.  This is a challenge; you are either going to snap or step up.  He tells his team, "This is the real world." He changes around his starting line-up; won a few by doing that.  There are peaks and valleys.  Santa Barbara's team came to Cal Poly to play after beating Cal Poly in Santa Barbara; Cal Poly won by three points!

Sometimes his players take a time-out in order to concentrate on their grades.  But there is natural anger and aggression over this and being their age.  With coaching, you fix the mistakes and you show leadership.  Coaching is dealing with failures.  Cal Poly hosts two week-long basketball camps, one in Nipomo and one at the college for $95!  The Coach feels it is a moral responsibility to expose youth to the CentralCoast with positive role models.  The University uses basketball to reach out, and anyone may donate and sponsor a camper.